James Horning Memorial Wrestling Tournament

Once again this year, Wm. Mason High School, the Mason Wrestling Family, and the James Horning Family will sponsor the James Horning Memorial Wrestling Tournament. This will be the fourth year for the annual varsity wrestling invitational held at the Mason Athletic Arena at Mason Middle School. On October 18, 2004 James Horning, a senior captain for the Mason Comets westling team as tradgically killed on I-75 when his truck lost control during a rain storm. From that incident, this tournament was started in his memory with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the James Horning Foundation which provides opportunities for wrestlers in need associated with the event.

This year's tournament will bring some of the best wrestling in the state to Mason on Saturday, January 19th. The field of schools include three dime Horning defending champions, Lakota West ranked fourth in the State of Ohio Division I Coaches' poll and Greater Metro Conference rival and host school Mason. Both Mason and Lakota West rank in the top 5 in the Cincinnati wrestling coaches' poll. Grove City Central Crossing is the top rated Columbus wrestling team will also be entered into the competition. Other schools who will participate are: Centerville, Dublin Coffman, Greenville, Kettering Fairmont, Lewis Center Olentangy, Milford, and Rochester (MI).

Since the first tournament, this one-day competition has been filled with outstanding wrestlers including four past Division I state champions, four state runners-up, twenty-three state placers, and seventy-one state qualifiers. And this year's field appears to be one of the strongest with the highest level of competition seen in the four year tournament. Lakota West's Ryan Field leads the returning competitors with three past Horning championships and three consecutive state runners-up performances. Robert Shepherd of Mason, Jesse Stevens of Lakota West, and Cody Beatty of Grove City Central Crossing all come into this year following a medal winning state tournament last year.